Vicinato
by spice-and-honey
Summary: Lovino moved into his nice house in a quiet neighborhood but his next door neighbor is a bit...eccentric. Itacest Neighbor AU *Contains Swearing and Future Lemons*
1. Moving In

**A/N: I'm back! Finally, it's been so long since I've written any Itacest but it's time I showed love to my otp again ^-^ I know this chapter is short but I need to know if people want me to continue before I invest a lot of time into it.**

Hm. Moving. There are few things that can cause so much stress and discomfort as moving, but it's also a part of growing up. Plus, if Lovino had to deal with the subtle pushing of his parents anymore, he'd choke himself. The little house he had chosen came into view and soon enough, the moving truck and he were in the driveway.

"Alright, start with the furniture and we'll see from there." He instructed to the movers because fuck you if he was going to break a sweat today. He looked 'round the neighborhood, at least glad that it was quiet and nice to look at. It was probably around lunchtime, most people were at work so the neighborhood would be quiet and he hoped it would stay that way. It was so quiet that he noticed the door of the house next to him open and shut.

"Hey neighbor! You must be the person who bought this house! The previous owners were an elderly couple so it should still be in good shape, no stains or messes, haha! Though they did have a little Pomeranian dog that used to bark all the time! Anyway, hi! I'm Feliciano! What's your name?" A average height, slender young man came across his lawn and down the sidewalk toward Lovino with a bright, tooth-filled smile stretched across his face. Lovino felt apprehensive as the guy came closer; who in their right mind walks up to a stranger? He had an extended hand and Lovino shook it hesitantly when he got close enough.

"My name is Lovino." He said. Feliciano laughed.

"Are you new to the town or just the house? I came from the next town over and didn't really want to leave but this house was just too cute for me to pass up, so I bought it. The upside is that it's really close to my college so I can take my bike or my scooter and enjoy the fresh morning air instead of waiting in all that yucky traffic. Are you going to college? How old are you? You don't look to be that old."

All this talking threw Lovino for a loop and he couldn't even begin to process all this on an empty stomach, no way in hell. Though, one question did pop up from the chaos inside his head.

"How did you know I was out here?" He asked, ignoring the boy's previous questions and stifling anymore from coming out. Feliciano cocked his head slightly.

"Hm? Oh! I heard the truck pull up so I looked out the window. That reminds me! I made risotto for lunch, would you like some? I also have half a bottle of Pinot Grigio to go with it, if you're interested." He offered sweetly. Lovino wrinkled his nose in the slightest distaste. Not really his want of a first meal in a new house but at least it was Italian.

"What are you, a Venetian?" He laughed with a slight scoff. Feliciano smiled, though there was some sadness behind it at Lovino's response.

"Yeah, and you? Where's your family from?" He asked softly. Lovino's eyes went wide; Lucky guess!

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I just thought it was kinda funny, I guess." He blushed slightly from embarrassment. Feliciano chuckled lightly. "My family is mostly from Rome but I have some in Sicily."

"Oh, well, I guess you don't eat much risotto then huh?" Feliciano chuckled again. Lovino shook his head. Here he was, standing on the sidewalk in front of his new house, chatting with his cute Italian neighbor.

Wait, what? Cute?

Well, sure, he had an interesting shade of brown in his hair and his eyes were an amazingly sparkly amber colour and he had the most cheerful disposition about him but that didn't mean he was cute or anything. ...Okay, maybe Lovino was a little bit smitten.

"No, but I'm starving so I'll go with you if it means free food." He said. Feliciano smiled widely and took his hand.

"Great! Then the food's on me!" He said as he dragged Lovino to his home.

His house was nicely designed, but still very casual. He had white furniture in his living room, making the room seem very open and friendly. Against the corner was the sectional couch which was covered in white and off-white pillows. Some had fringe, some didn't. The coffee table was small and fit snug in the space of the sectional. There was a picture frame and a small vase of lilies decorating it. Next to the table was a matching smaller sized ottoman and there were lamps around the room. His kitchen was white as well, but accented with black. The island top, the counter-tops, and the legs of his island chairs were black and some of the knick knacks and kitchen supplies were black. The rest was white.

"Just have a seat! I'll get the food!" He said. Lovino sat in one of the chairs at the island and felt out of place in such a clean kitchen. Soon enough, a hot plate of risotto and a glass of grigio was in front of him, ready to be devoured. Feliciano stood across from him, already had eaten from his own plate. "So, I'm still curious. Are you new to the town?"

"No, I just wanted to move out of my parents house."

"Are you in college too?"

"This was my last year. I just graduated."

"Oh! What did you major in?"

"Photography." Lovino coloured slightly. "It was the only thing I thought I was good at doing."

"Don't be silly, I'm sure you're good at lots of stuff. So, how old are you? 23? 24?"

"23." He felt funny telling a stranger all these things, but in a weird sort of way, Feliciano didn't feel like a stranger.

"I'm majoring in interior design." He said. Lovino nodded, completely unsurprised. "And I just celebrated my 20th birthday last week but don't tell anybody or else they'll take my wine." He laughed. Lovino smirked slightly.

"I won't. Unless you push me." He said. Feliciano smiled though there was a bit of fear in his eyes. Lovino stretched his muscles. "I'd better go check on my movers. Thanks for the food." He said as Feliciano took their plates.

"No problem! You should visit again." He said, a soft smile on his lips. Lovino blushed.

"Yeah, I'll think about it." He said, a smile pulling at his lips as well. He walked out the door and as he walked toward his own house, he sighed.


	2. Out And About

_Ding Dong...Ding Dong...Ding Dong…_

Lovino rolled over and opened a bleary eye to see his digital clock read _5:30. AM._

Somebody was at the door. And they were about to get _their_ bell rung. Lovino grumbled audibly and practically threw his covers across the room. He slipped on some slippers and trudged down the stairs, eyes barely open. The only good thing, he supposed, was that the sun was beginning to rear it's head over the horizon. He threw the door open, shirt almost draped off of his shoulder and hair covering his sleepy, angered face.

A tall, blonde, ray of sunshine was standing at his door wearing a hoodie, a black t-shirt, a pair of sweats, and a slightly ragged pair of converse. At 5:30 in the morning. And he was smiling.

"Hey, neighbor! I live in the house next door! Name's Jones; Alfred Jones!" He extended a hand toward Lovino and the young Italian man was so tired that he didn't have the energy to glare at him.

"Yeah, that's great. Do you understand what time it is?" Lovino asked monotonically, the bags beneath his eyes seemed to grow darker the longer he stood there.

"Well, I was about to go on my jog so I thought I'd pop in and say hiya!" The blue-eyed early bird said happily. Lovino felt a vein pop inside his head. "I didn't mean to wake you up, kiddo! How old are you anyway? You're so small!" He began to enter the house but Lovino cut him short.

"Get away from my house, dickbag." He sneered. Alfred laughed heartily.

"I can take a hint." He said. Lovino furrowed his brow. "I need to get going anyway! See ya later, neighbor!" He laughed as he jogged away. Lovino closed the door. His mother would be so proud of him for not pitching fit. He glanced toward the clock on his living room wall and decided there wasn't much of a point going back to bed. The farmers' market started in a few hours and he needed to get ready for the day anyway.

Soon enough, he was showered, suited, and swallowed two espresso shots. Forget a mug of brew, he needed a jump straight to the blood. He had pushed his hair back, that irritating curl making a headline debut in front of his forehead. He had written a shopping list for himself, seeing as he needed food. Sure, he'd been in this house for about a week now, but he had been getting take out.

I. Milk

II. Cheese

III. Bread

IV. Oranges

V. Tomatoes

Call Nonna so she can send me some olive oil and a few bottles of Marsala.

That last one wasn't something he planned on buying, but it's been awhile since he's been back to Sicily and his pride won't let him go back to his parents house in order to get that stuff from there. He grabbed his house key and his I.D. and decided he wanted to ride his bike down to the market.

The market was full of booths that had a variety of produce. Lovino was able to check things off of his list fairly easy; he had stopped at the store by his house to pick up the milk and bread. It was a good thing that his bike had a basket or else he would be screwed. Now, he needed to get oranges and tomatoes; there was a booth of cheeses as soon as he walked in. He preferred blood oranges but really, any oranges would do so when he got up to a stand ran by a older lady, he picked a few or her oranges and tangerines and thanked her kindly.

"Oh! Lovinito! If you're trying to buy tomatoes then mine are the best and you should buy them!" Lovino heard a _very_ familiar voice ring from a booth across the way. Times like these are when he wishes he had moved away to a new town. However, the Spaniard was right, his tomatoes were the best. With a groan, Lovino made his way to Antonio's tomato stand and started to inspect.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that? We aren't dating anymore, remember?" Lovino growled lowly through clenched teeth. Antonio puffed out his cheeks.

"Well, I know, but I can't help it. It's what I've always called you." He said.

It wasn't like they had a harsh break-up. They had dated through high school and decided that it would be best to split up for college; it was a mutual agreement.

"How's your dad? Still got that arthritis?" Lovino asked as he picked and scanned tomatoes freely. Antonio laughed lightly.

"Yeah, still got it. Francis has been trying to help him, since he got that degree in physical therapy. I can't tell if it really helps though."

"And you guys are good? You and Frenchie, I mean." Lovino tied off his baggy of tomatoes and reached into his pocket for his wallet.

"Yeah, we're doing good. Our anniversary was yesterday." He said and Lovino handed him money. "Oh, don't worry about it. They're on the house." He smiled. Lovino rolled his eyes at the cheery Spaniard.

"Don't be stupid." He said as he shoved the money into the Spaniard's palm.

"I hope I see you around. Maybe we can get lunch sometime!" Antonio called after Lovino as Lovino began to make the trek back toward his bike.

"Mhm." He replied.

He enjoyed the way the wind felt as it ran through the strands of his hair. It made the ride back to his house feel refreshing. And it was, until he got home and saw a car in the street between his and Feliciano's house. It was a rickety old thing. It needed to be repainted and waxed and from the looks of the man working inside the hood, it needed some work done. Lovino parked in bike on his lawn and Feliciano greeted him with a wave and a smile.

"Did you get me anything from the market?" He asked. Lovino furrowed his brow.

"No. What's all this?"

"Oh! Well, my grandpa got a new car so he gave me his old one! How cool is that!"

"Super." Lovino rolled his eyes. Looks more like a pawn to get rid of an old rust-bucket but why pop the kid's bubble. "How much money will it take to fix it up?"

"Hm? I dunno, but Luddy here said that he'd fix it for really cheap!" Feliciano grasped hold of the tall, blonde man's arm and the man tried to shake him off so he could continue assessing the car. He stood straight and closed the car's hood.

"It looks like you'll need some new parts. If you want, I can contact my brother's shop and see if he can get them at a discount for you."

"Really? That's so nice! I'd really appreciate it!" Feliciano laughed then gasped in surprise. "Oh! Ludwig, this is Lovino, my new neighbor." He turned toward Lovino. "Lovino, this is Ludwig, my best friend." The two men shook hands.

"I can come back tomorrow morning and change the oil in your car, if you want."

"That'd be great! So, I planned on going to the park for a picnic, would you like to join me?"

"I can't. I have another job in the next town over, it's an hour drive." Ludwig said, rubbing at the back of his neck. Feliciano deflated slightly.

"Lovino, would you go with me?" He asked, voice full of hope. Lovino didn't really feel like going but bless the poor boy's heart.

"Sure, I'll go with you." He smiled slightly. Feliciano cheered.

"Great! Well, you'd better get going; wouldn't want to hit traffic." He stepped onto his tip toes and Ludwig bent slightly in order for the small Italian man to kiss his cheeks. "Don't go anywhere! I'll get the basket!" He ran into his house. Lovino awkwardly watched the German man climb into his car and drive off. He's never been one to like Germans, but he's never been one to embrace people completely the first time around. He always took his time; patience is a virtue it's said. Feliciano came back out with cute wicker basket in hand. "The park isn't that far, we can walk there."

And so they did. And it was peaceful. The sky had been clear all day, the whitest of clouds drifting lightly overhead. It was spring and nature was in full bloom, flora and fauna alike. The animals were glad to be free from the constraints of winter and the flowers could stretch their stems as high as they could go.

When they arrived at the park, they were greeted by children and families and older couples taking their daily walks. Feliciano pulled them to a spot beneath a tree where a patch of flowers were clustered together. He opened the basket and pulled out two bowls of minestrone and some slices of bread. He handed a spoon to Lovino and they ate; they enjoyed the serene tranquility of it all. Lovino couldn't help but feel giddy when he saw a few pieces of olive oil cake inside the basket for dessert. Cake was his favorite dessert by far. He finished his bowl and leaned back against the tree, feeling the breeze sweep through his hair again and he closed his eyes. He wasn't tired but such a moment called for feeling and not seeing.

"Can you believe that they're removing Hamilton from the $10 and keeping Jackson on the $20? Why can't they just put a female on the $20 and make everybody happy?"

"Because even on paper, a woman is worth half as much as a man."

Uh oh. His stomach turned into itself when he overheard those two women talking. Conversations like that gave him anxiety, made him feel sick. He was well aware of the trials and tribulations of the world and of people but some people were brash and rough to deal with. Their passion was misplaced with aggression. And every once in a while, you met those rock hard people who were just tiring and Lovino had a hard time finding the energy to deal with them. But, that doesn't mean he doesn't have his opinions and his thoughts and he liked to voice his just like everybody else. He gulped down some spit from his drying throat.

"What do you think about the currency change?" He asked Feliciano but kept his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm happy that they are putting a woman onto the currency."

"They're keeping Jackson on the $20 even after what he has done."

"I know."

"And they're giving Hamilton minuscule recognition."

"I know."

"And you're happy?" Lovino asked, with much more an air of curiosity than anger. Luckily, nobody was around to hear them talk, God forbid they be put down and shamed for being a pair of 'privileged white males' who haven't got the right to talk about something like this. He felt something soft placed onto his head and Feliciano's comforting scent of cherries and watermelon drift into his nose. A blush painted his cheeks and he kept from opening his eyes.

"I find peace in progress. Impatience only leads to anger and stress and it's nice to find joy in the little things. We're all frustrated about something; we'd all like to have our dream job and more money in our pockets but it's a beautiful thing to have patience." Lovino felt Feliciano fixing the small wisps and strands of his hair and he couldn't help but to open his eyes. "It's always good to push for something but those that push too hard fall first. Look at the Roman empire and how hard it pushed. It doesn't feel like the same thing, but it is." He sat back and looked at his handy work. "Sometimes, taking a breath and finding comfort in the small changes can motivate you to make bigger ones." He smiled. Lovino felt his chest tighten and his breathing became short and the moment was clearer than before. Have you ever felt it when a person became so much more beautiful in such a short amount of time that you needed to replay the moment again in your mind to see if it really happened? Lovino felt himself smiling. He felt himself smiling at his words and his voice and the flower crown on top of his head and he knew that he was wearing one too.

"You're pretty positive, huh?" He said. Feliciano smiled and pulled the cake from the basket.

"I'm positive that it won't be long before we've changed from a woman on the $10 to a woman on the $20, and I'm positive that the amount of joy we'll feel when it happens will completely overshadow the amount of time it took to get there." He smiled brightly, handing a piece of cake to Lovino. Lovino took no time in taking a bite of it and he sighed happily.

"I'm positive that I'm gonna marry this cake one day." He said between bites. Feliciano laughed happily and as far as Lovino was concerned, that was beautiful too.

 **A/N: So, lemme just say a few things. First, the ship is starting to sail obviously ^-^ I didn't want it to take too long for them to develop feelings but it doesn't happen overnight so this is just the beginning! And yeah, they're in America but it doesn't really matter.**

 **Secondly, an olive oil cake is similar to a pound cake but it is incredibly moist and delicious and made with basic cake ingredients, orange zest, and olive oil. Sometimes, you can add orange juice and/or orange lacquer and it'll still be amazing *-***

 **Lastly, I wanted to update way earlier but I didn't have WiFi so I'm sorry but the internet is up and running and I'll be updating way more! Stay tuned and review pretty please 3**


	3. Spending Time

**A/N: School started and I got sick so no chapters have gone up but I'll be better now that I'm out of this rut of not writing! Sorry, this is rather short though :/**

Lovino growled deeply in his chest, like an angered and caged puppy. He hesitantly opened a crusty, glazed eye to see that his clock read 5:00 AM.

Why was he awake right now, you ask?

Because some pinwheel decided that they wanted to mow their lawn at the butt-crack of dawn.

Lovino, being the small, spicy pepper that he is, wasn't going to take this lying down. Or rather, he couldn't, seeing as he couldn't go back to sleep. As he threw on his robe and his slippers, he crossed himself, asking the Lord to bless him with the strength not to pitch massive amounts of fit and keep from killing a poor, stupid soul this morning. He agitatedly threw his door open and walked across his lawn toward the noise.

And there he saw it.

Feliciano was mowing his lawn before the sun awoke from its nightly slumber. Feliciano stopped mowing and side-stepped to throw his hose out of the way. As he did that, Lovino stomped over and turned off the lawnmower. Feliciano jumped in surprise and flashed him a dazzling smile.

"Good morning!" He said. Lovino deadpanned, a small vein popping from his head.

"What the actual fuck are you doing?" He asked calmly, trying not to implode.

"I'm mowing my lawn!" Feliciano answered. Lovino smacked him in the head, causing the fragile male to cry out.

"I can see that, idiot! Why the hell are you mowing your lawn at 5 in the goddamn morning!?" If Lovino could throw something at him, he would, preferably some common sense. Feliciano flinched away slightly before answering.

"I wanted to get a headstart on the day...I've got a lot that I wanted to do." He replied softly. Lovino huffed through his nose, feeling a bit bad about yelling at the little shit.

"...What did you have planned to do today?" He resigned to ask. No need to poke any more holes into the fragile bubble of happiness that is Feliciano. Feliciano perked up.

"Well, first I was going to mow my lawn. Then, tend to my flower garden, then I was going model searching!"

"Model searching?"

"Yeah, I want to paint a portrait of a man, oh but not just any man; a man who is strong-willed and thick-skinned, but also gentle and sensitive at their core. A man who is both masculine and feminine in body and soul. A diamond in the rough." Feliciano's eyes glittered brilliantly as he described what he was going for what he needed to satisfy his inner Michelangelo. "So, I need to find a model who can be that." He said. Lovino nodded his head and a silence drifted over them.

"Well, have fun with that. I'm going back to bed." He pivoted on his heels but was stopped by Feliciano's voice.

"Want to come in for breakfast?" He asked sweetly. Lovino grimaced. Damn him for offering free food.

"..." He pitched some fit, inside his head of course, "...What did you have in mind?" He asked reluctantly. Looks like he'll just have to take a siesta later that day.

"Sometimes, I get the feeling that you're trying to fatten me up for something…" Lovino sighed as he leaned back into Feliciano's couch. Feliciano sifted through some more portfolios.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because you're always feeding me..."

"Oh. I just always have food is all." He muttered distractedly. Finally, he dropped the pictures and hung his head with a groan, hands in his hair. "None of these are what I'm looking for…" He whined. Lovino felt panic bubble in his stomach; he's not good with making people feel better.

"If it's so important to you then...you can use me. If you want. And only for the rough draft or whatever you artists call it." He said. Feliciano looked up and Lovino felt self-conscious as he watched Feliciano give him a once over.

"...Yeah, okay." Feliciano said distractedly at first, then he smiled wide, "Yeah! Thank you! Come on, follow me!" He said, excitedly, grasping Lovino's hand and pulling him up the stairs.

The houses were all built the same, each with two small bedrooms. Feliciano changed what was labeled as 'bedroom' and turned it into 'art studio'. There was paint pretty much everywhere and a lone easel in the centre with a blank canvas.

"You sit there and I'll start sketching." Feliciano pointed to the couch like seat in front of the easel and Lovino felt his hands start to slick with sweat. He wiped them onto his pants quickly and seated his tush on the couch.

"Do you want me to sit a certain way or…?" He asked. Feliciano unrolled a case of graphite pencils and picked one from the row.

"No. Just sit there however you want." He said sweetly. Lovino sighed and gulped to quench his dry throat.

Why would something like this make him so nervous? It's just Feliciano, his dork of a neighbor, no big deal.

Lovino leaned back and exhaled, running his thumb along the boring, dingy ring on his finger, the light of the room failing to make the old thing gleam. He listened to the scratching of the pencil against the canvas and told himself to focus on that and not on the intense stare that Feliciano was giving him.

Just take it all in stride. He remember why he was nervous. The scrutiny; having to sit here for God knows how long and be watched, your likeness portray on a canvas through somebody else's eyes. Symbolising the road of the everyday and mundane.

Or maybe he was overthinking it.

"Anxious?" He heard from behind the easel.

"What? No, no, I'm not…" Lovino exhaled, "You know, I just don't do good with this stuff." He laughed bitterly. Feliciano hummed in acknowledgement.

"Where'd you get that ring? It looks older." Feliciano asked. Lovino glanced at it with a blush.

He's trying to calm Lovino down, and Lovino knows it.

"It, uh, an old promise ring."

"Old flame?"

"...Yeah."

Feliciano chose the wrong road to Placid City as far as Lovino's concerned.

"What happened?"

The sound of the scratching became a tedious gnawing inside Lovino's head.

"...She left."

"She? I never took you for one to have a girlfriend."

Implying that Lovino looked gay, thanks.

Lovino licked his lips and felt a sneer pulling at his cheeks.

"It was a one time thing."

"Well, what was it like to be straight for a little while? I always imagined it as-"

"Boring?" Lovino inquired. He always knew people that thought heterosexuals were another form of devil because they weren't gay like the rest of his friends. The scratching stopped hesitantly.

"Boring? I never imagined that before." Feliciano said, more to himself and curiously rather than bitterly. Lovino scoffed.

"Not once? To some people it's akin to eating vanilla ice cream with a spoon on a Monday."

"Love isn't boring. Neither is sex. Maybe those people haven't found what they're searching for quite yet." Feliciano said, and resumed his artistry. Lovino swallowed and felt rebellious tears seering the backs of his eyes, trying to push their way out.

"How...do you know if you've found it?" He asked. Feliciano continued to sketch and once he finished, he put his pencil back gently and rolled up the case.

"I'll let you know once I get there." He said softly. He took a cloth and wiped the graphite residue from the delicate skin of his hands. "We're done for today. I think it's time for a siesta." He took the canvas from the easel and set it against the wall, facing away from onlooking eyes. Lovino followed him out, feet shuffling against the floor. Feliciano turned out the light and locked the door behind him.

"So, you like guys then?" Lovino asked, perfectly blunt and uninhibited.

"Yep." Feliciano answered surely.

"Were you ever unsure about it? Being gay, I mean." Lovino asked. They entered the kitchen and before Lovino could ask why, he was handed a glass of water.

"Were you?" Feliciano rebutted. Lovino laughed, but this time it wasn't bitter.

"Yeah, but I know who I am now."

"Me too." Feliciano said with a smile. "Time for that siesta I mentioned." He yawned.

"I'll show myself out, then."

"Nobody said that you had to go, silly." Feliciano laughed. Lovino coloured.

Maybe...no, it's too fast. Too early, he should go home.

"No, I'll just see you tomorrow." He said. Feliciano deflated slightly.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then." He smiled. Lovino waved and left the house fairly quickly.

Did Feliciano want him to stay?

He shook his head and walked into his own home.

Nah, there's no way he wanted that.


End file.
